President Donald Trump is doubling down on data centers — and Congress is splitting over it.
Democratic lawmakers want tighter restrictions on the facilities, while Republicans say they’re key to winning the artificial intelligence race against China. The fracture comes as communities nationwide erupt over soaring electricity bills and water shortages tied to the massive tech infrastructure.
Trump rejected calls this week to slow data center development, repeating his warning that communities blocking the facilities would “end up being backwards and poor.”
“If Donald Trump is such a big fan of data centers, then he should welcome them in his own backyard.”
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., told Fox News Digital that Arizona must pause data center expansion until the state figures out how to preserve water and protect ratepayers from skyrocketing utility bills.
“We in Arizona need to pause the expansion of data centers in the state until we really figure out a plan on how we’re going to preserve our water, how we are going to make sure that ratepayers aren’t taking on the responsibility,” Ansari said.
She called Trump’s push “out of touch” with what the “vast majority” of Americans want. “If Donald Trump is such a big fan of data centers, then he should welcome them in his own backyard,” she said.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., pointed to his proposed Data Center Bill of Rights, which would ban the facilities within 2,500 feet of homes, schools, child care centers, hospitals and nursing homes. Khanna dismissed Trump’s comments outright.
“Trump has failed to deliver for the forgotten American, so he’s just grasping at straws,” Khanna said.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said lawmakers must prioritize what’s “fair” for local communities. “The wealth has gone into the tech sector, and they are unregulated, unbridled and not very philanthropic,” Jackson said.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., said higher electricity bills shouldn’t fall on communities as data centers expand. “It baffles me that we are just not guaranteeing, for average ratepayers, low utility bills,” she said. “These data centers could play a role in that.”
Republican lawmakers were split. Some backed AI investment to compete with China; others stressed local control over where the facilities go.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., backed AI investment to stay ahead of China but opposed building data centers in residential neighborhoods. “We’ve got to stay ahead of China with AI, and data centers are a part of that,” Mace said. “But you don’t put them in somebody’s backyard and that’s the whole point.”
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., praised data centers for generating tax revenue, improving local infrastructure and supporting energy production. “You should be fighting over them,” McCormick said. “But, I mean, if you don’t want one, that’s up to you. I think you’re missing out.”
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said decisions about data centers should be left to states and local communities. “I believe in 10th Amendment rights, state rights,” Norman said. “Let each community take ownership, and they’ll make the right decisions.”
The fracture comes as several states raise concerns over electricity costs, water use and development. Protestors have rallied with “Stop data centers” signs, and the debate highlights growing divisions over where the massive tech facilities belong in local communities.
